Middle Class Families Report not Having Free Time

Despite stable individual work hours over the past forty years, American families now spend more collective time working, largely due to the rise of dual-income households and single-parent efforts to reach the middle class. This shift, driven significantly by women's increased workforce participation, has boosted economic gains but also intensified time pressure, with a majority of parents and working adults reporting they lack sufficient time for personal or family needs. Note: The issue identified is not that women are working, but that high employer demands and economic factors place increasing pressure on young and middle-aged working families with children.